Jean M Twenge Ph.D.

Is Donald Trump Actually Insecure Underneath?

Why the mask model of narcissism is dangerous

I’m often asked how you can spot a narcissist. Here’s my standard list:

Brag or show off

Name-dropping

Name brands or flashy possessions

Look at themselves in the mirror a lot

Turn the conversation back to him/herself

Insults others

Declarations about being the “best” or “great” without details

Emphasizes his/her status

I wrote that list two years ago – long before Donald Trump started running for president. Yet it could have been written just for him. As others have pointed out, the Donald is a textbook case of narcissistic personality. He is clearly functioning well and thus can’t be classified as having narcissistic personality disorder, the clinical-level form, which by definition only describes someone whose traits are causing them difficulty. Trump, instead, displays narcissism as a personality trait – the type we focus on in The Narcissism Epidemic.

Here’s the question: Is Trump’s narcissism a cover for insecurity? This is known as the “mask model” – the idea that grandiose narcissism is a show to distract people from the deep psychic pain underneath. A recent piece on time.com made this claim, arguing that Trump is trying to cover for a “profound insecurity and lack of self-esteem.”

Here’s the problem: At least for grandiose narcissism like Trump’s, there’s no evidence that the mask model is true. Narcissists have high self-esteem on average, not low, and the most aggressive people are those with both high narcissism and high self-esteem. Children who become narcissistic are not those shamed by their parents, but those told they are special.

This is also just plain common sense: Does Trump really seem like he is insecure underneath? Does he seem to be in a state of psychic pain, or even covering for one? No – he’s having the time of his life. So why does he seem to crave all of the attention and adulation? The time.com article argues that Trump is trying to fill a deep “psychic hole.” I have a more straightforward explanation: He likes all of the attention because he thinks he deserves it. It’s never enough not because of psychic pain, but because he thinks everyone should pay attention to him. Attention is fun and gratifying; it has nothing to do with insecurity.

I will go further: I think it’s dangerous to believe that narcissists are insecure underneath. Not only is it not supported by empirical evidence, but it promotes the idea that the way to deal with narcissists is to boost their self-esteem and heal their “wounds” through more love and affection. This is like suggesting that the way to cure obesity is by giving everyone more doughnuts. The narcissistic person who ruins relationships through his self-centeredness does not need more love or attention – he needs to get kicked to the curb. The young adult who takes advantage of everyone around her does not need her self-esteem boosted – she needs to learn responsibility.

Narcissism is known as the "disease that hurts other people," and the cure for it is real life – losing a relationship because of selfishness, losing a job because you've alienated people. Yes, we should try to understand narcissists and realize that their behavior is explained by this personality trait. But that does not mean we should believe that they are actually insecure – that myth undermines our understanding of narcissism because it presumes that it's only skin-deep.

Many, many people have been hurt in relationships with narcissists by believing that they can change the person with more love. If only that were true – but sadly, most of the time, it's not. We can have empathy for people with narcissistic traits, but that does not mean we have to believe they are suffering underneath. Most of the time, they are making other people suffer. They won't suffer themselves until bad things start happening to them, often as a consequence of their narcissism. It is sad, but it is not due to insecurity.

Trump is not insecure. We should not be looking for the source of his “psychic pain” or expect that someday he will break down and show his true, doubting self. He really does think that he’s that great, and that his ideas are that great. If we believe otherwise – about him or anyone else with these traits – we risk underestimating the true power of the narcissist.

Insightful and accurate article. The best cure for Trump's narcissism may be a civil political takedown aka contested convention where he loses. Or if numbers make that impossible, a vetting out or formal disqualification. Or if the powers-that-be can't swing that either, impeachment on the grounds of impending danger to national wellbeing and security. Who knows if Trump can improve, especially since at 69 years he apparently loves himself the way he is, and who really cares about him as an individual--someone like that. We can help ourselves anyway by keeping him out of the presidency.

career politicians lie through their teeth,get elected, and then the lobbyists that control them decide what the politicians actually get done....it's time for a proven leader in the real world and not in the corrupt career of politics. Trump is going to be great.

There doesn't need to be a deep seated underlying cause for everything. Good point! The Trumpmeister was born into privilege and thus must have an inflated opinion of himself as a normal and natural consequence. Personally, as one based in australia, I hope he does become president. Political correctness has gone way too far and he is deliberately and narcissistically tapping into that "anti" groundswell: good on him. Much the same as Hitler in the 1920s after the ridiculous Versailles treaty caused such hardship in Germany after WW I. Shipping all your American jobs off to India and China is a VERY similar thing! Good on him for throwing a spanner in the gears of destructive internationalizationalism. There are boundaries for reasons! Imagine if your lungs thought they were your heart! You would be spewing up blood every time you spoke.

He does things the Vince Mchman way. Anyone who's
been around the Wrestling world knows how it's done.
It's all staged. Trump WILL implode PURPOSELY.
He has no real desire to be President. Hillary will reward
him nicely.

I am currently working with Bill Eddy from the high conflict Institute on the same topic of the narcissist who does not have low self-esteem. I have been looking for any references for these kinds of studies. Do you have any?

Most out of touch article I have ever read. How could any politician NOT be labeled the very same thing when they all talk about how great they will be as governor, senator, President etc..?? I thought you people didn't like or approve of "labeling" people? Hillary Clinton and her husband are the greatest swindlers of all time and people like you who write these types of articles support those crooks. Bill is absolutely no doubt a sexual predator. Hillary hangs on just for the assistance he may offer her in this attempt to become president. While people struggle to support a predator and a liar -regarding top secret materials. YOU and those like you are the reason our nation is in the situation it is in. Go analyze that. Imagine this type of language coming from a fellow democrat? Gasp!!! (You couldn't make it more apparent that you are a liberal)

How is Dr. Twenge the problem? Is she personally responsible for the votes of tens of millions, or for a culture of contemptful narcissism...or is she calling it out. I've voted for five republican presidential candidates, never a democrat for that office, but she's right...Trump is a grandiose narcissist. And if he loses, would it be Dr. Twinge's Svengali powers responsible, or Trump's own contemptful cutting down of his fellow Republican candidates and their families...for instance, without evidence accusing Ted Cruz's Christian father of being an assassin...so Cruz supporters won't vote for him, or the woman he endorsed, against whom he's running.

there are many kinds of narcissist though..there are even seemingly shy introverted narcissists (called "covert") which in my experience has been the most prevalent kind. quite a few, in fact i'd say most, do have extremely low self esteem that all their behavior is compensatory for. donald trump doesn't have to confront much of a grandiosity gap because he's world famous and rich and in his eyes successful etc...nothing really challenges his grandiosity, unlike your average basic regular person narcissist who must face almost daily the truth that they aren't actually unique, brilliant and destined for notoriety. most narcs ARE created through childhood trauma and shame and abuse - overvaluing and overcoddling is abuse imo because it objectifies the child and stunts their sense of self - and most narcs DO have incredibly low self esteem which their narcissistic defences exist to protect them from. this is NOT to say we should just "love them more", i have no idea why that's mentioned but i have never heard anyone who's dealt with a narc imply that. regardless of their past abuse they don't have empathy and will destroy you if you try to get close. their existence is a sad, no-win situation.

Just to inform, narcissists do not have childhood trauma in common as much as they have overpraise from their parents in common. Check out research by Roy Baumeister, and it centers the disposition to violence among narcissists on someone else threatening their grandiosity, and narcissists can't tolerate that threat from someone beneath them. The overpraise history belies this idea of low esteem hiding under narcissism. Now there is also the newly discovered contemptuous disposition which is related to the covert narcissism you describe, but there are plenty of narcissists who are happy to tell you they're just fine with who they are...even better than fine. Tell them they're hiding a deep hurt, and they'll have no problem openly laughing at you. The laughing's not to hide the hurt.